Some thoughts on IT and UK Social Housing from a unique perspective of over 20+ years working with over 50 RSL's and social landlord groups.
Also a healthy knowledge of music over the last 5 decades
Available for independent housing RSL IT reviews, implementation, procurement of HMS, Repairs, CRM, EDM, DLO, Financial, Scheduling systems, critical friend etc. In Scotland I work with the super folks at Arneil Johnston.
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Saturday, 8 March 2014

I Thank You

Sometimes we get hung up on the value of money as a motivator, although in truth, it's a pretty short term measure.

Across the pond they have a bank holiday for it called 'Thanksgiving'. Here, I remember when I was MD at my old shop. I used to have a reminder every Tuesday, that just said "Who should be thanked for being a star last week?".

Sometimes it was a customer, for hosting a prospect visit. Maybe my colleague winning business. Occasionally someone staying a bit later to bottom out a helpdesk call to make someone happy, or agreeing to fly to the Shetland isles with me to stay in a Thai style B&B and demo to a council.

According to recent research by Forbes, 83% of the organisations they studied suffered from a deficit in recognition. Companies that scored in the top 20 percent for building a "recognition-rich culture" actually had 31 percent lower voluntary turnover. Creating a "culture of recognition" is one of the keys to success.

In my experience, this is not something you save for the annual PDR. Give recognition in the moment. Believe me, your colleagues or staff will want to replicate that moment and excel.

It's got to be personal. Once I said thank you with a tub of reduced fat humous, and they were impressed as I knew they were 1) On a diet and 2) Vegetarian brethren.

It's got to be specific. Generic comments, like "Thanks, great job!", have little impact. Articulate what the individual did and why it was important. Share how their efforts helped you, the team, the customer, or the company. Relate how it was tied into the company's values or goals.

Make it frequent and don't skimp on the pizza. Maybe because I always have my 12" buffet plate in the boot of my car, this was never a problem for me. If you got folks working late, at the weekend or on bank holidays on something special, order that Dominos online. Believe me. they will remember you as a caring hero and they will do that again for you.

Oh and yes, as a last thing it works on me too. I enjoy being thanked and getting recognition too. Well, just like you, I am only mortal you know....

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This blog combines my work interests of housing organisations getting the most from their IT, my love of monopoly and my oversized music collection. Every blog post ends with a music track. A good excuse to exhume old ghosts from time to time 8-)
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